Israel strikes Beirut suburbs as US-Iran deal inches closer
What's the story
The Israeli military has launched strikes on the suburbs of Beirut, targeting Hezbollah infrastructure. The move comes as efforts to negotiate an end to the ongoing United States-Iran war continue. According to the Associated Press, smoke was seen rising over the Lebanese capital after the attack. This is not the first time Israel has targeted Beirut; a similar strike took place last week, marking a major escalation in hostilities since a ceasefire was established on April 7.
Retaliatory action
Israeli military said strikes were in response to Hezbollah attack
The Israeli military said the strikes were a response to recent attacks by Hezbollah in northern Israel. Earlier on Sunday, Hezbollah had fired three projectiles into northern Israel. The Israeli military released footage of the incident, in which a loud boom was heard, and a column of smoke could be seen rising from the area.
Diplomatic developments
Israel unhappy with current state of negotiations
Since the exchange of strikes between Israel and Iran, the United States and Iran have made progress toward a potential deal. However, Israel's government is unhappy with the current state of negotiations, which have been led by Pakistan and others. Tehran has demanded that any ceasefire deal include hostilities in Lebanon and the release of billions in frozen funds.
Escalating conflict
Hezbollah missile attack into Israel triggered wider conflict
Hezbollah had launched missiles into Israel on March 2, just two days after the United States and Israel attacked Iran. This incident triggered a wider conflict in the Middle East region. Israeli troops have since pushed their invasions deeper into Lebanon, striking the suburbs of Beirut a week ago, further escalating tensions in the region.